Preparation of Glucose Labeled with 20-Minute Half-Lived Carbon-11

Carbon-11 is the longest lived carbon radioisotope that can be detected by γ-counting and carbon-11-labeled compounds have been advocated for use as in vivo tracers. This study shows that carbon-11-labeled glucose can be made by adopting the biosynthetic method used for synthesis of carbon-14-labeled glucose. The various steps in the procedure are summarized in a figure, and discussed with a view to maximize the final radiochemical yield.